FLIA 156

“You’ll have to come with us.”

A member of the Rift Management Bureau’s Special Unit, who had disembarked from the helicopter, said in a stiff voice. Taeyang Team boarded the helicopter without a word. The roar of the crowd below was already drowned out by the helicopter’s noise. Everyone screamed and retreated in the strong wind.

Soon, the helicopter took off. He had ridden one before, but it was still a mode of transport he never quite got used to. Yohan cautiously glanced around before quietly creating a few light particles. He looked at Lee Hyunmook, who gave a small nod of permission. Excited, Yohan abruptly asked the Special Unit member.

“Would you like me to purify you?”

Whether it was the content of the suggestion or Yohan’s overly bright voice, the member seemed flustered.

“P-purify?”

The Special Suppression Unit members had been quite disappointed with the existence of purifiers up until now. Park Seungmin, the so-called high-level purifier, hadn’t given them the time of day, and even their respected captain, Jeong Siyoung, had barely been purified at all. But then, a mid-level purifier appeared, and after witnessing his abilities, their thoughts changed. This was a natural and fundamental question.

‘Is Park Seungmin truly a high-level purifier? Or did he deliberately refrain from purifying Captain Jeong Siyoung?’

Either scenario posed a problem, and then an incident like today’s occurred. Yang Yohan, seen in the citizen’s video footage, displayed abilities far surpassing those of a mid-level purifier. So there was no way to miss it. Yang Yohan was the true high-level purifier. And he had deliberately concealed his identity.

While the Special Suppression Unit members hesitated for a moment, Yohan quickly scattered light. He had always wanted to do this whenever he saw members of the Special Suppression Unit, who were particularly high in corruption levels. Now, he no longer had to hold back.

The members touched by Yohan’s light flinched and stiffened. But only for a moment; soon, their tense bodies gradually relaxed. The auditory hallucinations whispering in their ears, the visual hallucinations showing ominous shapes, the depression, lethargy, obsessive compulsions, pain, physical deformities… The symptoms that had only worsened as their corruption levels rose, never improving, vanished.

Their bodies felt lighter. The itching and pain, the mental anguish, washed away as if never having existed. For a moment, the members forgot their mission, touching their bare skin with trembling hands. This was usually the first place symptoms appeared when corrupted. Their chests swelled as they confirmed their skin was perfectly normal. After a long silence, they conveyed heartfelt thanks to Yohan.

“…Thank you, Awakener Yang Yohan.”

“You’re welcome!”

Yohan smiled brightly, feeling refreshed like someone who had finally wiped away a stubborn stain they’d always wanted gone. As a member of the Special Suppression Unit who had occasionally been assigned to escort Park Seungmin, he couldn’t help but make a comparison in his mind. And he realized it keenly. That someone like Park Seungmin should never become a high-level awakener.

Waiting at the helicopter’s arrival point was Hwang Yeongcheol, his face flushed red like a boiled octopus. The moment he stepped off the helicopter, Hwang rushed over, pointing an accusing finger as if ready to grab him by the collar.

“How dare you! How dare you deceive me! Me!”

Faced with this unprecedented situation, Yohan froze in shock. Immediately, Lee Hyunmook stepped in front of Hwang Yeongcheol. Hwang Yeongcheol faltered. As Lee Hyunmook approached with a smile, he flinched and stumbled back.

“Everything was ordered by me. If you want to argue, shouldn’t you argue with me? I don’t understand why you’re arresting the wrong person.”

By then, Yohan was hidden from view by the team members. Hwang Yeongcheol, who had been about to vent his anger on an easy target but was blocked, trembled with fear and rage. He turned to the Special Suppression Unit and shouted.

“What are you lot doing! Arrest every last one of them immediately! In these perilous times, they dare to deceive the nation! They’ve siphoned off vital resources!”

No matter how crucial purification capabilities were, treating people as resources clearly showed how they viewed awakeners. Seo Yakrin covered Yohan’s ears while glaring at Hwang Yeongcheol with terrifying intensity. Her gaze was one that wanted to tear her opponent apart right then and there.

The Special Suppression Unit hesitated, even as Hwang Yeongcheol raged. It was only natural. Ordering them to snatch a purifier from the Taeyang Team? It was an absurd, impossible command. Hwang Yeongcheol had issued this order partly because his rage had blinded him, and partly because he still viewed his opponents as the old Sunrise Team. Lee Hyunmook, who had completely ignored Hwang Yeongcheol, looked at the Special Suppression Unit leader and said.

“If you have anything to say, go ahead. Anyway, that guy will be kicked out soon enough, so you don’t need to worry about him.”

“What, this little brat…! I’m done talking!”

Fuming at being completely ignored, Hwang Yeongcheol cursed and fumbled for his phone. He was about to call someone to take action.

“Gah…!”

Surprisingly, a member of the Special Suppression Unit approached from behind Hwang Yeongcheol and knocked him unconscious. It was the squad leader. Without even glancing at Hwang Yeongcheol lying on the floor, the unit leader knelt down.

“Awakener Lee Hyunmook. And Awakener Yang Yohan. I know you must harbor ill feelings toward the Rift Management Bureau and the Special Suppression Unit. But please… could you purify Captain Jeong Siyoung? I beg you…”

His demeanor was earnest and desperate. It was a clear act of insubordination, yet the other members also lost their will to fight and all released their weapons. From this scene, Yohan could clearly see that the Special Suppression Unit effectively recognized and followed Jeong Siyoung as their superior, not Hwang Yeongcheol.

“She is not someone who deserves to be treated like an animal. She dedicated herself so much for this land; this cannot be. I beg you.”

Lee Hyunmook didn’t bat an eye at the squad leader’s plea. Instead, he turned to look at Yohan, who was under the team members’ ironclad protection, and said.

“Yohan, do as you wish. Captain Jeong Siyoung is a very important asset to the government. You might receive a useful reward for this.”

At Lee Hyunmook’s words, the squad leader flinched but did not raise his head. He had hoped that even this might help improve Captain Jeong Siyoung’s corruption. Most of them owed countless lives saved to Jeong Siyoung. Yohan, who had been pacing impatiently, answered immediately without hesitation.

“I’ll do it! I’ve really wanted to purify her for a long time. Where is she now?”

“Ah! Thank you. This way… this way.”

Seizing the moment, the squad leader jumped up and walked purposefully forward. No one paid any attention to Hwang Yeongcheol, slumped on the floor.

They headed for the Rift Management Bureau’s isolation headquarters, where they had stayed before. The squad leader swiped his card and entered. Researchers, each watching breaking news reports, saw the Taeyang Team and Yang Yohan and jumped up in surprise. But none dared speak.

The squad leader entered a zone deeper than the one where Yohan had been isolated. Passing through several steel doors, they boarded an elevator descending underground. Down, down… Only after taking another elevator could they reach the location where Jeong Siyoung was isolated. Before opening the thick isolation door, the squad leader turned to them and asked.

“The Capitain overexerted herself in Busan and is now in a truly dangerous state. You must be careful.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll protect him safely no matter what happens.”

“Very well. I’ll open it.”

Knowing full well how strong Lee Hyunmook was, the squad leader pressed the pad to open the isolation door. Kwoong, zzzzzzzz…. The isolation door opened with a heavy mechanical hum. The triple-layered construction of the door itself spoke to the government’s obsessive vigilance regarding Jeong Siyoung. As the door finally began to open, a sickening stench wafted out.

Unlike Park Seungmin, no one here gagged at the stench. Everyone here was accustomed to the foul odor.

Yohan stared through the door. Inside the dark isolation chamber, Jeong Siyoung lurked. Her eyes, which had been closed, soon opened, revealing gleaming pupils. Those pupils were fixed on Lee Hyunmook.

“What the hell.”

Creak, creak. An unpleasant sound of something snapping echoed. Clank, clank. The sound of chains rattled. Jeong Siyoung’s gaze slowly moved from top to bottom.

“Mon, ster, has, ap, peared?”

“Captain Jeong Siyoung, this is Awakener Lee Hyunmook. Do you not recognize him?”

The squad leader explained, but Jeong Siyoung, seemingly on the verge of losing her sanity, only stared at Lee Hyunmook. Now, an ominous gaze swept from below to the side. Jeong Siyoung. Korea’s second most powerful awakener. His ability was…

“Monster, water… dead.”

Precognition.

Her left arm, swollen to enormous proportions, flew toward Lee Hyunmook. Against living creatures, Jeong Siyoung could instinctively perceive and grasp the situation seconds or even minutes ahead. Therefore, in one-on-one combat, no one could defeat Jeong Siyoung. That was precisely why the squad leader had been so worried.

Lee Hyunmook instantly grabbed Jeong Siyoung’s left arm and snapped it. Crack! The sound of breaking bones was clear, yet not a single groan escaped her mouth. This too had been anticipated. The self-destructive attacks that had been about to follow halted abruptly.

“…?!”

Whatever she saw froze Jeong Siyoung’s body. As if plunged into darkness, she shook her head in confusion. Yohan, assuming it was a mental aberration caused by corruption, seized the moment and began the purification.